Copa

Copa was a Genoese trading station in the lower Kuban country, where the river's branches approach the Sea of Azov. Its position linked merchants on the Black Sea coast with the Circassian hinterland. Although a contemporary merchant handbook described Copa as a poor harbour for shipping goods, its river routes and inland connections gave the station a place in Genoa's network around the sea.

Genoese officials administered trade and justice at Copa while sharing political authority with local Circassian lords. The port's rulers also mattered in the contest to control passage through the Kerch Strait: the Genoese authorities at Caffa sent gifts to the emirs of Copa as well as to other powerful figures in the region. Across the water and along the coast lay related Genoese stations, including Matrega and Mapa.